MARGATE, FLORIDA — A South Florida family has been devastated after a mother and her 2-year-old daughter were struck by lightning during a sudden afternoon thunderstorm, leaving a father to mourn his wife and one of his twin daughters.

Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her daughter Kennedi Rose Glasgow were struck at about 2:30 p.m. on August 23 near a home on Northwest First Street in Margate, Florida. Both were rushed to separate hospitals but died shortly after arriving.

⚡ The Family Was Just Trying to Get Inside
Kameron Glasgow said the family had just arrived at a relative’s home when the weather suddenly worsened.

As the rain intensified, the family began trying to get the children inside.

Then the lightning struck.

Kameron said he felt an electrical shock from the ground, but when he turned around, he saw his wife and daughter lying outside.

Their other 2-year-old daughter, Kensli, was still in the vehicle.

“It was the worst feeling in the world,” Kameron later said as he described losing his wife and daughter within seconds.

💔 Neighbor Rushed to Help
Nearby resident Prince Moody said he heard an extremely loud thunderclap and saw an orange glow through his window.

His son then told him that someone appeared to have been struck.

Moody ran outside and discovered Kenya and the toddler lying on the ground.

He immediately called 911 and tried to assist while emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Margate police and fire-rescue personnel began CPR and other lifesaving measures.

Kenya was transported to North Broward Medical Center, while Kennedi was taken under police escort to Broward Health Medical Center.

Despite the emergency response, both mother and daughter were pronounced dead shortly afterward.

👧 Kennedi’s Twin Sister Survives
Kennedi was one of a pair of 2-year-old twin girls.

Her sister, Kensli, survived the lightning strike.

Kameron said one of the hardest parts of the tragedy will be watching Kensli grow up without her identical twin.

He said he knows his surviving daughter may eventually ask why her mother and sister are no longer there.

For now, he says he is focusing on caring for Kensli while trying to cope with the devastating loss.

❤️ Husband Remembers His “Best Friend”
Kameron described Kenya as a woman who always put other people before herself.

He said she had “the biggest heart in the world” and had helped shape the person he became.

The couple had known each other since high school and had spent roughly half their lives together.

He also remembered Kennedi as an energetic child who loved music and could sing along to songs by Benson Boone.

Now, both memories have become part of a family grieving an unimaginable loss.

🌩️ The Storm Developed Extremely Quickly
The lightning strike happened during a rapidly developing thunderstorm.

According to AccuWeather’s Lightning Detection Network, at least 120 lightning strikes occurred within 10 miles of the location between 2:15 and 2:45 p.m.

The closest recorded strike was approximately 0.1 mile from where the mother and daughter were found.

AccuWeather meteorologists said the area had been dry just minutes earlier before the storm rapidly developed.

The incident highlights how quickly lightning hazards can emerge, even when a storm does not initially appear to be directly overhead.

🚨 Florida Faces Significant Lightning Risk
Florida experiences frequent thunderstorms, particularly during the summer rainy season.

The CDC says the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, but the consequences can be devastating.

Experts recommend going indoors as soon as thunder is heard rather than waiting until lightning becomes visible.

The recent tragedy is a painful reminder that lightning can strike outside the immediate area of heavy rainfall.

A Family’s Life Changed in Seconds
Kenya was 31.

Kennedi was only 2.

Their family had been preparing to get inside when a lightning strike transformed an ordinary afternoon into a tragedy.

Kameron is now left raising Kensli while mourning the two people he described as extraordinary parts of his life.

The Margate Police Department continues to investigate the incident and has expressed its condolences to the family.

In just a few seconds, a mother and her young daughter were gone — leaving behind a grieving father, a twin sister and a family trying to understand a tragedy that no one could have expected.

Sources:
PEOPLE: PEOPLE — Mom and 2-year-old daughter killed by lightning in Margate